1. Field Of The Invention
This invention relates to a method of geochemical prospecting for buried sulphur and sulphide mineralization, and, more particularly, to a method of collecting and analyzing soil samples to determine the presence of buried sulphur and sulphide mineralization.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
The field of carbon isotope geochemical prospecting is dominated by sample collection procedures recommending unspecified soil sampling depths. Publications dealing with petroleum prospecting applications make reference to "near surface soils" as optimum sample types and to the use of carbon isotopes in "Surface Geochemical Prospecting." Duchscherer, W., 1980, Geochemical Methods of Prospecting for Hydrocarbons, Oil and Gas Journal, Dec. 1, 1980; Duchscherer, W., 1979, Carbonates and Isotope Ratios from Surface Rocks--A Geochemical Guide to Underlying Petroleum Accumulation, Paper presented at Symposium II, "Unconventional Methods in Exploration for Petroleum and Natural Gas", Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, Sept. 14, 1979.
There is nothing in the prior art which indicates that natural degradation of plant and organic matter and its conversion to mineral carbonate causes significant interference in carbon isotope prospecting surveys in the generation of carbon-12 enriched mineral carbonate indistinguishable from carbon-12 enriched mineral carbonate derived from buried petroleum reservoirs or sulphur deposits. There is also nothing in the prior art which indicates that soil depth is critical in establishing informative anomaly patterns in carbon isotope geochemical prospecting. The discussion of carbon isotope geochemistry in "Surface Geochemical Prospecting" (Geochemical Methods of Prospecting for Hydrocarbons, Ibid.) suggests to the carbon isotope prospector that optimum carbon isotope anomalies may be found at the ground surface.